Detroit Free Press staff writer

The creation of a Regional Transit Authority barely passed the state Senate on Tuesday, opening the way for millions in federal aid to flow into metro Detroit to improve public transportation.

Yet, even after 23 previous legislative tries to create the authority, the deal still is not sealed. The matter has to go through the state House of Representative, where its future is not certain.

The Senate passed the measure 24-14, with most of the no votes coming from Republicans.

Sen. Coleman Young Jr., D-Detroit, was the only Democrat to vote against the RTA, but not because he doesn’t support mass transit for the region.

“It has the ability to take property away and that shouldn’t be with anyone other than the elected officials of that community,” he said.

State Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Detroit, said it was high time for the state to move ahead with the authority.

“We are finally moving forward as a region and a state by taking this step toward the creation of an RTA,” Johnson said. “After decades of stalled attempts, characterized by bitter partisanship and territorial disputes, we are closer than ever to achieving the goal of building a functional mass-transit system, competing for federal transit dollars and bringing southeastern Michigan into the 21st Century.”

The authority would coordinate the city and suburban bus service provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit (SMART). It also would spearhead the creation of a light-rail line and bus rapid transit system.

The federal Department of Transportation said it’s ready to inject millions into mass transit in metro Detroit, including $25 million to a light-rail line from downtown Detroit to New Center, if the state and region can craft a regional cooperative effort that would improve public transportation.

If the region cannot come up with a plan, the federal money is off the table, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has told regional and state leaders.

The Legislature has tried nearly two dozen times over the last few decades to create a regional transit authority. One was passed by the Legislature in 2002, but was vetoed by then Gov. John Engler right before he left office.